How to Change Your Story
Hey Gang!
Can you believe it? My son starts school next week! That means the summer is winding down, and our vacations have come and gone. This year I had some amazing trips, both to Colorado and to the shore with my family.
Even though it is great to spend time with family, sometimes it can be really frustrating to have so many people all in one place! Well this year, as we got ready to head down to the shore, I started to get a little worried about getting the most out of our trip. I decided that in order to truly enjoy this time with my friends and family I needed to focus on my own positive experience. Sound familiar? I am reminding myself about the positive stuff I need to know! We can all use a reminder to think positively once and awhile, and guess what, I succeeded!
You know how I was able to have an amazing trip? I told a different story. I knew that during this trip I might feel overwhelmed and out of control, but that I should not dwell on those feelings. It is natural to feel uncomfortable when you are not in control of what is happening around you, and to feel frustrated when it seems like others are making things more difficult. All you have to do, however, is realize that these people care about you and want to spend time with you. Even though it might be disguised as something else, this is how they are showing they love you. With that frame of mind, you can receive them with gratitude.
To get into that mindset, in the car on the way down to the beach, I took a moment to meditate. I took three deep breaths and thought about how grateful I was to have these amazing people who care about me, and the time to see them. And it worked! Throughout the vacation I accepted people, built my relationships through the best game there is, Pokemon Go, and stayed positive about my own experience. I would visualize how I wanted situations to play out, and then made it happen through taking action or stepping back. Through this frame of mind, everything fell into place perfectly and I had the most amazing trip!
Remember, when you find yourself in a situation that you should be appreciating but is making you frustrated, just tell a different story! And I promise, the whole experience will be a more positive one.